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2021 Map of Cairo

Name: 2021 Topographic Map of Cairo
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2021
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2021

About this map

The Ohio River and Mississippi River converge at the southernmost tip of Illinois, defining a landscape shaped by massive water systems and historical river commerce. Cairo occupies the strategic peninsula where these two great rivers meet, its streets laid out in a dense grid near the Alexander County Courthouse. To the north, the geography is marked by a series of settlements including Future City, Urbandale, and Mound City, the latter of which serves as the site for the Pulaski County Courthouse and the sprawling Mound City National Cemetery.

Transport and topography are intertwined throughout the quadrangle, from the levee systems protecting Cairo Junction to the aviation facilities at Cairo Regional Airport. The area’s spiritual and communal history is reflected in numerous burial grounds, such as Beechwood Cemetery and Saint Marys Cemetery near Mounds. Across the water in Kentucky, the Barlow Bottoms and Cypress Slough illustrate the complex wetland ecosystems of the river valley, while Boston Bar sits as a prominent mid-river feature near the Missouri border.